Early Signs of Dyslexia

Don’t call me stupid!

I remember the day I told S that he was Dyslexic.  I know that some will argue we shouldn’t label, but for S, it gave him an identity, it gave him strength.  Till then he had been frustrated, unable to vocalise how he felt.  Not able to ‘keep up’, those early signs of dyslexia found him on the end of innocent but cutting comments made by peers.  Now he could tell his peers, explain why his brain worked differently, and that he was definitely not stupid.

Dyslexia in Kids

I had had my suspicions for a good year or so before he was diagnosed, so it was also really reaffirming for me to realise my gut was correct. To be fair I had no idea of what to look for, no idea of the signs, I just knew something wasn’t right.

So if you have ever wondered, or have some concerns, below are the main signs of dyslexia in school-aged children:

School Children

• Read and write very slowly
• Confuse the order of letters in words
  put letters the wrong way round (such as writing “b” instead of “d”)
• Have poor or inconsistent spelling
• Understand information when told verbally, but have difficulty with information that’s written down
• Find it hard to carry out a sequence of directions
• Struggle with planning and organisation

Early Signs of Dyslexia

The above signs are for school-aged children, and it is usual that children are not officially tested till the end of Year 2/beginning of Year 3.  However, if your child is younger and you have concerns then click here to see the early sign of dyslexia in preschool children.

Whatever age your child is, if you have any concerns then please speak to your child’s teacher about your concerns.  The earlier dyslexia is diagnosed and support is put in place, the better the outcome.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a really common learning difficulty that can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling.  But it does not affect intelligence.  It’s estimated up to 1 in every 10 people in the UK has some degree of dyslexia.  I for one definitely recognised some of those signs not only in myself but also in both the older boys too.

These five films by the BBC offer practical suggestions on how best to support older children.

Moving forward

So with the distinct prospect that even in September schools will still have to socially distance, then this means a mix of virtual/home learning and face-to-face at school.  I have already spoken about my struggle to home-school S, even with the fantastic resources, guidance and online SEN lessons that the school are giving me.  My own struggles with my mental health, as well as trying to motivate and teach an 8-year-old dyslexic who fights against everything ‘academic’, haven’t been easy, to say the least.  I need to figure out a way to do this, I cannot let him down.

So I am making it my mission to figure out his learning style, what sparks his excitement (den building for one, cooking & baking for another!) and then work with him.  I’d love to hear what your experiences have been in the comments below, what worked for you and what didn’t!  All tips gratefully received.

Fay x

For more information on dyslexia please go to:

Made By Dyslexia

British Dyslexia Association

Or check out this fab blog post from Nessy with Teaching Tips for Dyslexics

And follow my Pinterest board, for even more great activities, quotes and information:

Dyslexia | Activities | Learning Support